


High Hopes High Morale

by Goldstone_Wolf



Series: High Hopes Low (Blank) [27]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), High Hopes Low Rolls (Web Series)
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, Food mention, Gen, Just a warning there is some religious discussion, Ryce does a music, also fun fact dancing releases endorphins, and it pertains to how i got this idea, food mention but no description, fun times, i don't know i don't know when i flirt, i guess, it's in the ante notes (the ones before the fic), malark is a bit of a saucy boy, no angst i promise, some paddark flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:06:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24866530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldstone_Wolf/pseuds/Goldstone_Wolf
Summary: While stopped for the night, High Hopes has a nice moment where they get to destress. (Awkward synopsis, many apologies).
Relationships: They're Not Important Here I Guess Sorry
Series: High Hopes Low (Blank) [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692196
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	High Hopes High Morale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BubbleDramatically](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubbleDramatically/gifts).



> We were at my grandparents’ church when I scribbled this synopsis and the ante-notes out and we were outside in a tent that smelled like hay and warm grass. Anyways, they played the song “La Casa de Dios”, which is the Spanish translation of “The House of the Lord” and I had the thought of Nagar and Gimgar dancing while Ryce played the song (I also forgot that Ava existed for a good twenty seconds and had to count all the High Hopes members, including Nala and Zenya, on my fingers a couple times before I could remember her; no clue on whether or not Ryce was around when Nagar and Gimgar were on the team but that’s fine). Anyways, let me tell you, hearing people sing in Spanish, Korean, and English all at the same time was hauntingly beautiful (they were singing “How Great Thou Art”).  
> So with that (possibly unwanted) context, here you go! Enjoy (or don’t, I can’t control you).

After hours of travel, they finally stopped for the night.

Slumping down to the ground, Paddy leaned against the canyon wall behind him and groaned. Malark settled down on his right, Rook on his other side. Meanwhile, Gwing took some of their supplies, set about making a fire, and started making dinner. “ _How_ are you making dinner?” Paddy asked in awe, and the half-elf ran a hand up and into her bangs.

“If I stop moving, I’m going to pass out from exhaustion. Personally, I’d like to make some dinner before that happens. Torlin, mind helping me?” The blonde dwarf wandered over while Gimgar and Nagar set about polishing their weapons. Ava dropped to the ground beside Gwing’s panther Nala. Zenya, meanwhile, fluttered over and settled in Ava’s hair, curling up and nearly vanishing in the green. Ryce started strumming on his guitar, watching the flames as they danced along the tune. Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t—Paddy wasn’t really sure how bard magic worked anyways, and he wasn’t sure why Ryce would be using magic after such a long trip anyways.

Around them, the world was painted in the pinkish blue hues of dusk, dim shadows darting through deep forests and over babbling creeks deeper in the woods. The canyon itself was on the very edge of the forest, and Paddy for one was just glad they had made it through the canyon already. Otherwise, he wasn’t sure he could have walked another step the next day, much less climb rocky walls. The pines whispered in the weak evening breeze, and the clouds above were bright, fluffy balls of pink and mauve against a darker sky. It was beginning to turn the rare, violet and pink hued blue of twilight, not unlike the one of early morning but at the same time distinctly different and distinctly beautiful.

As Gwing and Torlin went about making food (and all Paddy could do was thank the gods that the pair existed, because he probably would have forgotten to eat entirely if he were alone), Ryce started playing with the strings and pulling out a more lively tune. “It’d be a shame to let such a lovely night go to waste,” he mused, and everyone looked at him in confusion. “Come on!”

Whether it was simply through touch or through tune, some sort of energy passed through Ryce to Paddy the second their hands touched (to be fair, the bard was continuing to play the whole time, although _how_ the wood elf wasn’t sure). All of a sudden, he felt better than he had in weeks. “What—”

“Don’t you _dare_ touch me—no, Ryce!” Malark practically _growled_ at the sun elf, who dodged away before the rogue could do anything. Begrudgingly, the assassin muttered a ‘thanks’ and then looked at Paddy as the bard continued playing around the fire. Eyes narrowing, Malark squinted at Paddy as if he were trying to figure something about him out. “What’s that look for, Whitlaw?”

Ryce’s tune was cheerful, something that just _had_ to be danced to. It was fun in the way of childhood summers, bright like sunlight reflecting off cool creek water in midmorning of early autumn as it rushed by underfoot. Even with the crackling warmth radiating from the fire, the song itself seemed to carry the brisk and crisp undertones of sitting outside on a grassy meadow in the shade of a tall conifer. It carried the memories of simpler days, of sitting with friends who were more like family and talking and laughing about a trip that was just beginning to end, of watching white butterflies dance on the breeze like tiny winged ballerinas, of having that one friend who was perpetually afraid of bees get shocked and shy away from the little bumblebee buzzing around their watermelon.

Holding out a hand, Paddy quietly asked, “Care to dance?”

Although it may have been glow from the fire, and it was hard to tell with Malark’s face wraps, Paddy could have sworn the assassin blushed. Nevertheless, his eyes darted down momentarily towards Paddy’s outstretched hand, and he hesitated before allowing himself to be pulled closer. “Sure?”

Beside them, Rook was holding Gwing close, talking to her quietly like they needed to chat about what they were doing. For all Paddy knew, they were. Torlin seemed to be quickly finishing up whatever she and Gwing had been making with Ava’s help (no one was sure whether they should stop the dwarves or not).

“Hey, scale-feet, come on!” Gimgar dragged Nagar to his feet and Paddy glanced at them, nearly laughing. Did any of them have a single idea what they were doing? No, not particularly. They probably would have looked ridiculous to anyone who was passing by. Did any of them care?

No, not particularly.

Paddy pulled Malark closer, grinning like an idiot (at least, that’s what he felt like he looked like). “Think you can let your guard down a little around us, Mal?” Tilting his head to the side, he arched an eyebrow.

Malark shot him a look in reply and said, “Think you can keep up?”

**Author's Note:**

> This probably takes place separately from the other fics in “High Hopes Low Blank”, especially those connected to “High Hopes High Sacrifice”  
> Yes, I know Ryce has some other instrument (I think it’s called an Angelique?) than a guitar but the song that I was listening to yesterday for me was a guitar (and a cajon and some other instruments). Also, I found modern music in medieval…stuff? I don’t know how to describe it but I found it through deep diving youtube’s recommended section in another video about a pallas cat gryphon so don’t ask. Also there’s an instrument called a hurdy gurdy and all I could think while listening to a video (“The Longing” by Patty Gurdy, for those of you interested) was “What if Paddy could play this?”  
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed it (if you didn’t…eh?). Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a nice day! See you in the next one.  
> Now, into the fray once more!


End file.
